Clothes wringer



W. P. SHATTUCK CLOTHES WRINGER 1,641,204 w. P. sHATTUcK CLOTHES WR INGERSept. 6, 1927.

Filed Deo. 1o 1925 5 sheets-sheet s Xl jhm/0b J7 ffii/iam ZJ//wfizze 'JZ55 jffzmty M ly www Sept 6 1927 w. P. sHATTUcK CLOTHES WRINGER FiledDec. l0. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet '4 :li l 0% l Nw MN T bk www W \mN1 I .0%HIH| QN L\ Sept. 6 1927. 1,641,204

W. F. SHATTUCK CLOTHES WRINGERV Filed Deo. l0 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM-1. SHATTUCK, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

CLOTHES WRINGER.

Application filed December 10, 19.25.` Serial No. 74,498.

My present invention relates to clothesv wringers, and has for itsobject to improve the same in the several particulars hereinafter noted.

To the above end, the invention consists of the .novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which ill'J lustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of.

the improved clothes wringer with some 13 parts shown in longitudinalvertical section;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing additional parts insection;

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse vertical Jil section, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, on

an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a view principally in transverse vertical section, taken ontheirregular line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

53 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary det-ail view with some parts sectioned on theline 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in longitudinalvertical section 39 showing a modified wringer frame, abutment andperipheral drive for a pneumatic roll;

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal longitudinalsection, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 is a view in transverse vertical section showing a modificationof the rolls.

Referring first to the invention as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive,the numerals 10 and 11 indicate, respectively, co-operating upper andlower wringing rolls, the former ;of which is pneumatic and the latterof which is solid and may be made from a rubber composition or any othersuitable material. The lower roll 11 is secured to the intermediateport-ion of a shaft 12 journaled in anti-friction bearings 13 mounted inthe end members 14 and 15 of a tilting frame, and which end members arerigidly connected by shouldered nut-equipped crosstierods 16 that arecircumferentially spaced in respect to the pneumatic roll and locatedabove the same.

Formed with .the frame end member 14 is a heavy sleeve-like trunnion 17.This trunnion 17 and the outer end of the shaft y' 12 are turnablymounted in open seats 18 and 19, respectively,'in the upturned ends of awringer support 20. The upper face of the wringer support 20 in verticaltransverse section is reversely beveled from the center thereof toafford drain surfaces 21.

The pneumatic roll 10 is held for wringing engagement with the roll 11by an abutment 22 in the form of, a cage in which the opposite side ofthe pneumatic roll 10 from the roll 11 lies. This abutment 22 comprisesa plurality, as shown six, circumferentially spaced tubular shafts 23through each of which axially extends a xed `solid shaft 24 havingreduced ends that are mounted in seats in the frame end members 14 and15. Mounted on the fixed shafts 24 at the ends of the tubular shafts 23are end hubs 25. Long anti-friction roller bearings 26 are interposedbetween the shafts 23 and 24 of each pair and held against endwisemovement by the end hubs fast with the tubular shafts 23 for commonrotation therewith. The abutment 22 extends over substantially 180 ofthe entire circumference of the pneumatic roll 10 and throughout theentire length thereof and securely holds said pneumatic roll 10 in itspropery wringing relation to the rollf 11 and at the same time permitssaid pneumatic roll 10 to fioat in respect to the roll 11.

The abutment 22 also performs another important function in that itstubular shafts 23 are positively driven from the shaft 12 and afford aperipheral friction drive for the pneumatic roll 10. To drive thetubular shafts 23 there are applied to their inner hubs 25, spur pinions27 that mesh with 'an idle intermediate spur gear 28 liournaled on theframe end member 14, and which idle gear meshes with a spur gear 29keyed to the shaft 12.

The wringer frame is free -to be tilted about the axis of the shaft 12from one side to the other of a vertical plane, and this tiltingmovement is limited by stop surfaces 30 on the upturned ends of thewringer support 20, and which stop surfaces are engaged by the frame endmembers 14 and 15.

-A carrier 31 in the form of a fiat yoke-like bar` the bodv of whichextends horizontally and longitudinally over the wringing frame, isprovided with a push bar, as wil'l presently appear. The inner arm ofthe carrier 31 has a bore through which the trunnion 17 extends and isheld against axial movement on said trunnion between the frame endmember 14 and the adjacent upturned end of the wringer support 20, andthe other arm of said carrier has a bore through which the respectiveend portion of the shaft 12 extends. Obviously, the carrier 31 issupported on the trunnion 17 and shaft 12 for swinging movementcircumferentially of the wringer support and this swinging movement islimited by pairs of horizontally spaced pins 31 on the frame end members14 and 15 arranged to engage the arms of the carrier 31 and move saidcarrier with the wringer frame during its tilting movement from one sideof a'vertical plane to another. The outer arm of the carrier 31 has aninturned end 32 which extends under a short hub 33 on the respectiveupturned end of the wringer support 2O and through which the shaft 12extends and holds said shaft in the open seat 19.

Formed with the frame end members 14 and 15 are upper and lower inwardlyprojecting guard flanges 34 and 3,5, the former of which are concentricwith the pneumatic roll 10 and extend outward of the abutment 22, andthe latter of which are concentric with the roll 11. A segmental housingplate 36 has its end portions telescoped under the guard flanges 34 andcovers the roll 10, crosstie rod 16 and abutment 22. Between theopposing faces of the rolls 10 and 11 the guard flanges 34 and 35 oneach frame end member 14 and 15 are connected by a guard member 37 whichis channel-shaped in cross section and affords a water drain 33.

A partition comprising a pair of laterally spaced plates 39 with a pieceof felt 40 inter- 'posed therebetween is placed in the inner guardflanges 34 and 35 between the ends of the rolls 10 and 11 and thepinions 27 and gears 2S and 29 to house said pinions and gears.Preferably, the housing formed by the frame end member 14, its guardflanges 34-35 and 37 and partition 39 will contain a non-drip oil inwhich the pinions 27 and gears-,28 and 29 run.

Underlying the roll 11 is a drain board 41 having at its transversecenter trunnions 42 journaled in the upturned ends of the wringersupport 20, and which trunnions are so arranged that the drain board41may be tilted to rest on either one of the drain surfaces 21. Thisdrain board 41, as shown, is formed from sheet metal and has at itslongitudinal edges upwardly and inwardly cfurved stripper blades 43,either one of which may be positioned to closely engage the periphery ofthe roll 11 by tilting the drain board 41, to prevent handkerchiefs orother articles from winding on said roll.

The stop surfaces 30 are arranged to posi tion the wringer frame withthe axes of the lll board 41 and properly position the same durl ing thetilting action of the wringer frame.

Formed in each stripper blade 43 is a plurality of drain holes 45. A pin46 is in serted through the inner upturned end of the wringer support 20above the trunnion 17 and holds said trunnion in the open seat 18.Obviously, the pin 46 and the lug 32 hold the wringer frame interlockedwith the wringer support 20 against movement from the open seats 18 and19.

rlhe pneumatic roll 10 is in the form of a tube formed from spirallyWound fabric, cord, or other suitable material having preferably arubber facing, and with its ends turned inwardly and backwardly. Theends of the pneumatic roll 10 are closed by metal heads, each of whichcomprises a pair of nested dish-like plates 47 adjustably connected by anut-equipped draw bolt 48, and between which plates the respective endportion of said roll is clamped. r1 he inner bolt 48 is extended outwardof the respective end of the pneumatic roll 10 to afford a stop forengagement with the partition 39 to prevent endwise drifting movement ofthe roll 10 toward said partition. A stop 49 in the form of a cup issecured to the outer head 47 by its nut-equipped bolt 48 and arranged toengage the frame end member 15 to prevent endwise drifting movement ofthe pneumatic roll 10 toward the same. The outer bolt 48 has an axialbore 50 which opens into the pneumatic roll 10 and has mounted therein acheck valve, not shown, and through which bore the pneumatic roll 10 maybe inflated from an air hose, not shown, inserted through an aperture 51in the frame end member 15, and applied to the outer end of said bolt. Adust cap 52 is applied to the outer bolt 48.

The wringer support 20 is bolted to a housing 53 on the upper end of atubular standard 54 turnably mounted on a washing machine, or othersupport not shown, and supports the wringer for horizontal swingingmovement. A latch, not shown, will be provided for #securing thestandard 54 from turning to hold the wringer set in differentpredetermined positions. The inner end of the shaft 12 extends into thehousing 53 through the trunnion 17 and a bossed opening in said housing,and has keyed thereto a bevel gear 55. A vertical shaft 56, driven by anelectric motor or otherwise, extends upward through the standard 54 intothe houslng 53 and has mounted thereon a pair of bevel pinions 57connected for common movement by .a long sleeve 58 through which theshaft 56 extends, and which sleeve and pinions are keyed at 59 to theshaft 56 for common rotation therewith but with freedom for.

axial sliding movement thereon. The p1nions 57 are located, the oneabove and the other below the gear 55, and when in an intermediate orneutral position, both thereof are out of mesh with said gear, as shownin Fig. 2. By raising the sleeve 58 the lower pinion 57 is moved intomesh with the bevel gear to drive the rolls 10 and 11 in one mounted onthe shaft 56 for compound axial sliding and turning movements.

On the back of the shipper member 60 is` a cam stud 61 which works in acam channel- 62 on the housing 53. Formed with the upper end of theshipper member 60 is a sleeve 63 into which the upper end of the shaft56 extends, and which sleeveextends through a bosscd opening in the topof the housing 53. Secured to the upper end of the sleeve 63 1s acrcsshead 64 having a segmental socketlike channel 65 which extendstransversely of the shaft 56 and on opposite sides thereof.

The ends of the channel 65 are closed by pins 66 secured to thecrosshead 64. For oscillating the shipper member 60 to move its cam stud61 in the channel 62, I provide a push bar 67 on one end of which is aball 68 mounted in the channel 65 for sliding movement, and at the otherend of said push bar is a hand piece 69. The push bar 67 is mounted onthe horizontal or intermediate portion of the carrier 31 and is held forstraight line endwise movement by a pair of lcoplike keepers 70 and 71,the former of which is secured to said push bar and slidably mounted onthe carrier 31, and the latter of which is secured to said carrier andVthe push bar 67 is slidably mounted therein.

When the wringer frame is in one of its extreme tilted positions andheld by the respective stop surfaces 30 the carrier 31 is heldpositioned by the uppermost pair of sto ins 31 on the wrineer frame andsup- P P s for the opera-torl to draw the push bar 67 away from thecrosshead 64 to swing said crosshead about the axis of the` shaft 56which oscillates the shipper member 60 and causes its cam stud 61 tomove in the cam. channel 62 and impart an axial movement to the pinions57 and cause the proper one to mesh with the gear 55. To stop therotation of the rolls 10 and 11, it is only necessary to push the pushbar 67 endwise toward the crosshead 64 to oscillate the shipper member60 and move the pinions 57 into neutral position or in case of anemergency a continued movement of said push bar in the same directionwill reverse the direction of rotation of said rolls. To wring clothesfrom the other side of the rolls 10 and 11 the wringer frame is tiltedto the opposite side of a vertical plane until stopped by the respectivestop surfaces 30, and during this tilting of said frame the lowermostpair of pins 31 will be brought into engagement with the carrier 31 tomove the same with the wringer frame and position the push bar 67 at theother end of the crosshead 64.

To again drive the rolls 10 and 11, the push bar 67 is pulled away fromthe crosshead 64, and to stop or reverse said rolls the push bar 67 ismoved toward the crosshead 64. From the above description it is evidentthat the push bar 67 is always moyed in the same direction, to wit: awayfrom the cro-sshead 64 to start the rolls 10 and 11, and toward saidcrosshead to stop or reverse the Same no matter from which side of thewringer clothes are being Wrung.

As the pneumatic roll 10 is without a shaft or trunnions it is free tofloat inrespect to the roll 11 and its axis does not have any definiterelation to the axis of the roll 11. By thus mounting the pneumatic roll10 for a floating movement in respect to the roll 11 it is free forcontraction or'expansion the entire distance between the roll 11 andabut? axis of a co-operating roll.

Obviously, the floating pneumatic roll 10 produces just as eh'icientwringing action on thin or on heavy materials or on articles that have avarying thickness longitudinally of the rolls. In case a person gets hisfingers or hands between the rolls 10 and 11 the pneumatic roll 10, dueto its elasticity and floating action, will not produce a crushing orpinching action.

By tiltably mounting the wringer frame and supporting the samewith theaxes of the rolls 10 and 11 in a common plane that is oblique to avertical plane, the operative sides of the rolls 10 and 11 are alwaysuppermost whether said rolls are driven forward or backward. With therolls 10 and 11 thus supported it is only necessary to hold an articleto be wrung thereby above said rolls and' allow the same to drop thereonto cause the same to be fed between the rolls, thus eliminating alldanger of a person having his fingers or hand caught by the rolls tryingto start the feeding action, as is often the case when `ordinarywringers are used in which the axes of the rolls are in a verticalplane.

As the ends of the pneumatic roll 10 are loose and flexible they arefree to move toward or from each other during the contraction andexpansion of the roll l0 during its wringing. The guards 34-35 and 37cover the relatively stiff end portions of the pneumatic roll 10 so thatthe actual wringing surface of said roll has the same elasticitythroughout its entire length. Any water that is carried over thepneumatic roll l0 during its wringing action will be collected by thehousing 36 and be carried back by the drains 38 to the guard Hanges 35and thence onto the drain board 41 where it escapes through thelowermost drain holes 45 onto the underlying drain surface 2l. Aspreviously stated, the movement of the wringer frame from one tiltedposition to the other automatically and positively moves the drain board41 into its proper relation with the drain surfaces 2l.

Referring now to the invention as illustrated in Figs. G, 7 and 8, thenumeral 72 indicates a frame in which is journaled cooperating rolls 7 3and 74 that are identical with the rolls 10 and 1l, respectively. rliheabutment 75 for the pneumatic roll 7 3 comprises circumferentiallyspaced shafts 76 journaled in the frame 72 and over which runs anendless belt 77 that affords a peripheral friction drive for said roll73. To prevent drifting of the belt 77 on the shafts 7 6 the same isprovided on its inner face with a plurality of endless ribs 78 that runin axially spaced circumferential grooves 79 in the peripheries of saidshafts. The shafts 76 are driven from the shaft 80 of the driven roll 74by a spur gear S1 keyed to said shaft and meshing with an idle spur gear82 journaled on the frame 7 2, and which idle gear meshes with spurpinions 83 on the shafts 76. Referring now to the invention as shown inFig. 9 there are illustrated two co-operating pneumatic rolls 84 and 85that are identical with the rolls 10 and 73, and the abutment 86 foreach roll 84h and 85 is identical with the abutment 22 and aordperipheral frictional drives for both of said rolls.

Referring again to the invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5,inclusive, I provide a loclrv for holding the wringer frame in eitherone of its tilted positions, and which lock, as shown, is in the form ofa springrejected bolt 87 mounted vin the outer end of the wringersupport 20 and arranged to be pro-- jected into either one of a pair ofcircumferentially spaced holes 88 in the frame end member 15.

What I claim is:

l. In a wringer, the combination with a floating pneumatic roll, of anabutment for one side of the roll, said abutment bein in the form of acage in which said roll giri and a roll having wringing engagement withthe other side of the pneumatic roll, said pneumatic roll beingsupported entirely by peripheral contact, said cage having drivenmembers affording a peripheral drive for the pneumatic roll.

2. ln a wringer, the combination with a pneumatic roll, of an abutmentfor one side of said roll, and a roll having wringing engagement withthe other side of the pneumatic roll, said abutment comprising aplurality of circumferentially spaced driven shafts affording a cageand-having driven members affording a peripheral drive for the pneumaticroll, said pneumatic roll being supported entirely by peripheralcontact.

3. fn a wringer, the combination with a floating pneumatic roll, of anabutment for one side of said roll, said abutment comprising a pluralityof circumferentially spaced driven shafts aording a. cage and havingdriven members affording a peripheral drive for the pneumatic roll, anda roll having wringing engagement with the other side of the pneumaticroll, said pneumatic roll being supported entirely by peripheralcontact.

4. fn a wringer, the combination with a frame, of a pneumatic roll, anabutment for one side of said roll, and a roll journaled in said frameand having wringing engagement with the other side of the pneumaticroll, said abutment comprising a plurality of circumferentially spacedfixed shafts mounted on the frame, tubular shafts on the fixed shafts,anti-friction rollers interposed between the fixed shafts and tubularshafts and means for driving the tubular shafts, said tubular shaftsaffording a cage and a peripheral drive for the pneumatic roll.

5. ln a wringer, the combination with a pair of co-operating pneumaticrolls, of a pair of abutments for opposite sides of the rolls, saidrolls being supported entirely by peripheral contact, and a. peripheraldrive for each of the pneumatic rolls.

6. in a wringer, the combination with a frame, of a pair of cooperatingrolls, the axes of which are in a common plane that is at an angle to avertical plane, said frame being tiltable to move said common plane fromone side to the other of a vertical plane, and a tiltable drain board,said frame having means to automatically reverse the drain board duringthe tilting movement of the frame.

`lin

7. In a wringer, the combination with a frame, of a pair of co-operatingrolls, the axes of which are ina common plane that is at an angle to avertical plane, said frame being tiltable to move said common plane fromone side to the other of a vertical plane, and a tiltable drainboardehaving at its longitudinal edges a pair of stripiper blades, saidframe having a part arrange to alternately engae the stripper bladesduring the tilting of t e frame to tilt said drain yboard andalternately position its stripper blades for co-operation with theperiphery of one of -said rolls.

8. In a wringer, the combination with a support, of a frame, a pair ofcooperating rolls, the axes of which are in a common plane that is at anangle to a vertical plane, said frame being tiltable to move said commonplane from one side to the other of a vertical plane, said supporthaving reversely inclined drain surfaces, and a'tiltable drain board,said frame having a part arrangedvto alternately engage a part on thedrain board during the tiltin of the frame and move said drain board romone of said drain surfaces to the other.

9. In a wringer, the combination with a support having reverselyinclined drain surfaces, of a pair of cooperating rolls, the axes ofwhich are in a common plane that is at an angle to a vertical plane,said frame being tiltable to move said common plane from one side to theother of a vertical plane, a tiltable drain board having at its lon'tudinal edges a pair of stripper blades, sald frame having a partarranged to alternately engage the stripper blades during the tilting ofthffra'me and move the drain board from one of said drain surfaces tothe other and alternately position its stripper blades forcolperationwith the periphery of one of said ro s.

10. In a wrin er, the combination with a tiltable frame, o a pair ofcooperatin rolls, driving connections for said rolls incIuding aireversible cam-actuated shipper member movable from neutral positionalternately to drive and reverse sitions, and connections including apush ar shiftable to opposite sides of the rolls for imparting lreversemovements to the shipper member by movements of the push bar in the samedirection.

11. The structure defined in claim 10 in further combination with acarrier for the push bar, said-frame having means for automaticallyshifting the carrier during the tilting movement of said frame.

12. In a Wringer, the combination with a frame, of a pair of cooperatingrolls, at least one of which is journaled in said frame, the

axes of said rolls being in a common plane that is at an angle to avertical plane, said frame being tiltable to move said common plane fromone side to the other of a: vertical plane, driving connections forsaidrolls including a gear, a driven shaft, a pair of pinions secured tosaid shaft With freedom for axial sliding movement and located onopposite sides of the gear, a reversible camactuated shipperv member formoving the pinions from neutral position alternately into mesh with thegear to drive and reverse the rolls, and connections including ashiftable push bar for imparting reverse movements to the shipper memberby movements of the push bar in the same direction, and a carrier forsaid push bar, said frame having means for automatically shiftingythecarrier during the tilting movement of said frame.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature,

WILLIAM P. SHAT'IUCK.

